ALLEN PARK -- The Detroit Lions, in need of reinforcements at cornerback, hosted Justin Gilbert for a pre-draft visit on Thursday.

The 6-foot, 202-pound Oklahoma State star is the fastest cornerback in the draft. He's widely regarded as the No. 1 overall player at the position.

And several recruiting analysts have Gilbert headed to the Lions at No. 10.

But Mel Kiper Jr. says there's an even better cornerback available, and it's a name that will be familiar to many Lions fans: Darqueze Dennard, one of the stars of that fearsome Michigan State defense.

"Dennard is the best in terms of overall play and being able to compete at the position," the ESPN draft analyst said this week during a teleconference with reporters.

Both players were terrific in college, but Kiper believes Dennard will hold up better in the more physical NFL.

"(Gilbert's) the kind of guy, to me, is not what I thought he was going to be, in terms of the top 10 or 15. He still could be, but he's just not physical enough in run support," Kiper said. "You got to be able to tackle as well after the catch. That's the underrated part of playing corner. The most important thing is tackling in the open after the catch. There are times when I saw him struggle.

"Darqueze Dennard does not. He's an in-your-face, tough, aggressive corner. He's the kind of guy who fits that bill very effectively."

Dennard racked up 62 tackles last season, a product of Michigan State relying on his physicality to seal the edge against the run. And, oh yeah, he's pretty good in coverage too.

He had four interceptions and 10 pass breakups last year as a senior, and could be relied upon to lock down receivers in just single coverage. He won the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation's best defensive back.

The Lions could use a cornerback like that. They ranked just 23rd against the pass last year, and the starting tandem of Chris Houston and Darius Slay was a flop.

Slay, a rookie, was benched after two games. Houston was the 10th-worst regular in the league according to ProFootballFocus.

Detroit still likes Slay, who showed signs of improvement at the end of the season. But depth at the position isn't good, nor is performance.

The Lions could select a corner at No. 10 to allay those concerns. The conventional thought is Gilbert, but Dennard's stock is rising as well.

"I think the ideal pick if you're the Steelers is Darqueze Dennard," Kiper said. "He's a Steeler. Rough, tough, aggressive football player, plays with a chip on his shoulder, very good in coverage, plays faster than he timed. Just a whale of a football player."